


Like Old Times

by gurajiorasu



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Anniversary, Future Fic, Gen, Skype
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-15
Updated: 2015-09-15
Packaged: 2018-04-20 22:13:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4804157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gurajiorasu/pseuds/gurajiorasu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Yeah. Like that one group, remember? What was their name again? Arashi?” Jun piped in, already laughing again, “They broke like a million hearts at once. Absolutely bad influence.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like Old Times

Ohno stared at his PC screen with a smile on his face. He waited. The clock was ticking and he waited. One by one, his friends’ faces popped up on the bottom corner of his screen. He smiled wider each and every time, trying to contain his happiness but failing at it.

With a click, he started the video conference.

“Hi,” he said softly.

“Riida!” Aiba was the first to chirp in. He had a dog on his lap and he waved its paw happily.

“Konbanwa, Ojisan!” a kid tried to get inside Nino’s frame. He’s about eight or nine, and Nino’s age was more appropriate to be his grandpa more than his father, but Ohno was grateful that Nino finally decided to settle and have a kid. Nino laughed at his son and pulled him to his lap.

“Oh, hi, little buddy!” Sho waved excitedly. His smile was as wide as ever. He had gotten chubbier, but he looked healthy and that was all that Ohno wanted.

“Matsu-nii?” Nino’s son tilted his head.

Jun chuckled. He leaned closer to the camera and said, “He’s not here now, but he said hi.”

“Oh,” the kid pouted, “Hi too, then.”

“I’ll tell him,” Jun promised then looked around and added with a much softer voice, “Hi, guys.”

They all smiled meaningfully, savoring the fact that they’re talking face to face again, even though it’s virtually. Aiba set his dog free and Nino gave his son to his wife who happened to be walking behind him. The wife bowed a bit to the screen and they waved politely. Then, she disappeared and they’re all alone again.

All five of them.

Ohno felt a certain lump in his throat, but it’s certainly not a bad thing. He swallowed it down, and started the conversation, “How’re you guys?”

“Fine,” Jun said. The rest nodded to it.

Ohno smiled and replied, “Me too.”

A bit of silence sank in again, and it was Nino who broke it, “I went to that guy’s restaurant a while ago, you see.”

Aiba giggled even before Nino said anything else, “Yes, he did.”

“He burnt my mapo tofu,” Nino laughed, “He’s hopeless.”

“You came at 9 PM!” came Aiba’s laughful defense, “It’s already my sleep time, you know.”

They laughed to that. It was still odd to hear things like that; all the things that sounded impossible when they’re still dominating the big stages of Japan.

“We watched the TV, though,” Aiba continued, “MatsuJun’s son entered the jimusho, yeah?”

Sho nodded enthusiastically, “Yeah, yeah, my daughter went crazy over her Matsu-nii. She robbed me for shop photos and whatnot! Geez.”

“You let her watch Johnny’s?” Nino sounded like he was judging Sho.

“I keep my princess away from Johnny’s,” Aiba laughed, “Bad influence, you know.”

“Yeah. Like that one group, remember? What was their name again? Arashi?” Jun piped in, already laughing again, “They broke like a million hearts at once. Absolutely bad influence.”

They laughed and laughed, like old times. The conversation flew pretty smoothly. They talked about Jun’s bonsai garden. They talked about Ohno’s last exhibition. They talked about Aiba’s little farm. They talked about Nino’s new hobby of paying a visit to senpais and old friends. They talked about Sho’s appearance in news program from time to time. As the time passed by, they started to talk about anything and nothing at all. They threw anecdotes. They laughed at the slightest gesture. They teased each other.

Like old times.

Like old times.

Sho’s laugh was still loud. Nino’s words were still sharp. Jun’s smile was still lopsided. Aiba’s responses at things were still the best of all.

And Ohno was still the one who talked the less.

Ohno just listened to them, observing each and every one of them like he wanted to make sure that his brain could save their faces and their figures properly.

Then, at some point, Nino stopped talking, stared at the screen, and smiled to himself. When the others stopped talking too and looked at him, Nino pointed out, “Riida’s crying.”

Ohno was startled by that. He touched his cheek and, indeed, it was damp. He knew nothing about it, and it showed in his face.

The other laughed at him. Fondly.

“You miss us that much, hm?” Sho said with a wide smile.

Ohno laughed awkwardly. He tried to wipe his tears and hide it but the more he tried, the more his tears fell down to his cheeks. He still laughed, though. And, slowly, his laughter transformed into a sob.

Aiba had tears in his eyes too by the time Ohno outrightly cry. They were all smiling, but Jun tried to blink away any potential tears and Nino tried his best not to look at Ohno directly.

It flew like a song, then. A short laugh, a sob, and then another knowing short laugh. Ohno gripped his mouse tightly and tried to say something, but his voice croaked every time and it ended up as another sob.

He loved them so much, he realized. He loved these four ridiculous guys so much that he found it hard to breathe.

It was Sho that broke the spell with a simple word, “Keikarou?”

Ohno looked up, hope shined in his eyes.

Jun smiled and agreed first, “Keikarou.”

“Keikarou, then,” Nino nodded.

Aiba clapped his hands in between his flowing tears and they knew it wouldn’t be much different than the old times.

Ohno nodded repeatedly and it was a promise in an instant.

When Ohno could finally gather his voice, he said with all of his heart,

_“Idiots.”_

And that was how he spelled happy 35th anniversary.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy 16th anniversary, Arashi.  
> Thank you for giving another meaning to five-colored rainbow in my life.
> 
> Sincerely,  
> A fan of yours.


End file.
